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University of South Alabama’s student newspaper

Jump to Success

Japanese
students
raise more
than
$3k
By Carey Cox
SENIOR REPORTER

USA’s Japanese Student Association
(JSA) has raised $3,270 for relief efforts
in Ichihara, Japan, since the 9.0-magnitude earthquake rattled the city March
11.
Just one day after another earthquake,
JSA set up a donation table and informational boards about Ichihara at the
Spring Festival in the Student Center
April 8. Students were able to donate
cash, purchase a wrist band or buy a colorful T-shirt with “love” written in Japanese on the front.
The Mobile Ichihara Sister Cities As-

see FUNDRAISER | 4

inside

Opinion | page 6
Colin McGee | Photo Editor

Junior Lindsay Schwartz, from Watertown, Wisconsin, sets her personal best and nabs a first place finish on the high jump Saturday with a height of 1.68
meters (5’06”). Lindsay set another personal best and won another first place finish in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.52 seconds.

Presidential election heads into runoff

Former candidate Alan Waugh
appeals, demands recount after
failing to make runoff.

By Alex Whalen
MANAGING EDITOR

The winners of the SGA elections for the
2011-12 academic year were announced
Wednesday and, as expected, we have a run-off
for SGA president.
Current SGA Vice President Colin AlGreene is the clear frontrunner with 459 votes.
Coming in second is SGA Chief Justice Troy
Shephard with 348 votes. Alan Waugh did not
make it into the run-offs, trailing Shephard by
only 10 votes.
According to The Lowdown (505.2), “The
two candidates receiving the highest percentage
of the vote will participate in the fun-off election.” It is on this basis that Waugh is protesting
the election results.
Waugh told The Vanguard that he filed the
protest with the SGA office on Friday night, so
the protest won’t be reviewed until this week.
“When the results came out, I was cordial.
But I couldn’t help thinking something wasn’t

IPolice Blotter p. 2

See full SGA elections results on p. 5.

right,” Waugh said.
During a conversation with some people in
the State Attorney General’s office in Montgomery, Waugh said he was told that he should
protest such a close margin of 10 votes.
But Waugh said he wasn’t as concerned with
the number of votes as he is about the percentage. “The rules in The Lowdown say percentage, and that’s what I’m going by.”
Waugh’s protest is based on the election results that were posted on the SGA office door,
which showed him and Shephard each with
30 percent of the vote. Thus, according to this
printout, there is no basis for eliminating him
over Shephard because they had an equal percentage of the votes.
Waugh acknowledged that a higher number
of votes wouldn’t necessarily entail a higher percentage of votes. In reality, Shephard received a
little over 30.39 percent of the votes and Waugh
received just under 29.52 percent.
My issue is that they posted 30 percent for
both of us,” Waugh said. “They shouldn’t have
rounded it off.”
Waugh is also concerned that a number of
Happenings p. 2

students told him that they never received the
elections e-mail. “They didn’t have SGA e-mails
or Zoomerang surveys blocked, and they voted
in Homecoming elections,” Waugh said.
The elections committee can not give an official response until the protest has been reviewed,
but SGA President Kim Proctor told The Vanguard that she didn’t think there were grounds
to uphold the protest.
According to The Lowdown, should the
Election Rules Committee deny the protest, the
decision can be appealed to the SGA Supreme
Court. This appeal would be problematic, since
Waugh’s opponent, Troy Shephard, is the current Chief Justice who would hear the case.
The potential source of bias would disqualify
Shephard from hearing the case, as well as the
Attorney General Cameron Macon, who is
Shephard’s fraternity brother. It’s unclear right
now who would hear the case.
In the meantime, the two remaining candidates now have to work to pick up those votes
left for Waugh and hopefully get some more
voters involved. “You have three quality candi-

Campus Pulse p.6

see ELECTIONS | 4

Distractions p.18

Facebook-Depressed
Doctors have begun to
notice a trend in depression
linked to Facebook.

Etc. | page 8
IRS Student Tax Credit
You might be able to get
money from the IRS just
because you are a student.

Arts &
Entertainment |
page 12

Shenanigans at O’Daly’s
Great specials, great
bartenders and a great
night on Dauphin Street.

University of South Alabama’s
Student Voice
Mission
The Vanguard, the student-run newspaper of the
University of South Alabama, serves its readership by
reporting the news involving the campus community
and surrounding areas. The Vanguard strives to be
impartial in its reporting and believes firmly in its First
Amendment rights.
Submission and Editorial Policies
Send letters and guest columns to: Editor-in-Chief,
editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com or The Vanguard,
University of South Alabama, P.O. Drawer U-1057,
Mobile, Ala. 36688. Letters and guest columns must
be received by 7 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to the
Monday publication. Submissions should be typed
and must include the writer’s name, year, school and
telephone number.
All submissions become the property of The Vanguard.
Unsigned letters will not be published. The Vanguard
reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns
for length and clarity. Letters will be limited to 300
words. Letters and guest columns are the opinion of
the writer.
The Staff Editorial represents the consensus opinion
of the Editorial Board, which is composed of the
Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Associate Editor,
Copy Editor, and Opinion Editor. All members of the
Editorial Board have the same weight during weekly
Editorial Board meetings.
The Vanguard has a commitment to accuracy and
clarity and will print any corrections or clarifications.
To report a mistake, call the Editor-in-Chief at 251460-6442 or e-mail editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com.
The Vanguard is a member of Collegiate Presswire and
U-Wire, which syndicates to a national audience.
The Vanguard is published Mondays during the
academic year, except for exam periods and vacations,
and is published twice each summer. The Vanguard
is supported in part by an allocation from student
activity fees and operates in the Student Media
Department of the Division of Student Affairs. Issues
are available at most University buildings and select
off-campus locations. The first copy is free. Additional
copies are $1 each.
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor-in-Chief: Daniela Werner
Managing Editor: Alex Whalen
Associate Editor: Cameron Adkins
Associate Editor: Genny Roman
Senior Reporter: Carey Cox
Opinion Editor: Cassie Fambro
Etc. Editor: Brett Williams
Sports Editor: Matt Weaver
Photo Editor: Colin McGee
Webmaster: Nick Griffith
DISTRIBUTION
Distribution Manager: Johnny Davis
ADVERTISING STAFF
Advertising Manager: Wesley Jackson
Advertising Representative: Mohammad Ammar
Al-Zarrad
Graphic Designer: Brittany Hawkins
MANAGEMENT
Adviser: Jim Aucoin
Accounting: Kathy Brannan
Website:
http://www.usavanguard.com
Mailing Address
The Vanguard
University of South Alabama
P.O. Drawer U-1057 Mobile, Ala. 36688
Phone Number
(251) 460-6442
Article XIV, Section 8 of The Lowdown: The editors of the student
publications shall be free from any type of censorship and shall be
responsible for the form, content and staff of the publication.
SPLC Statement: The Vanguard recognizes and affirms the
editorial independence and press freedom of all student-edited campus media. Student editors have the authority to make
all content decisions and consequently bear the responsibility
for the decisions that they make.

POLICE BLOTTER
3/31- Burglary, 3rd Degree
A Dell laptop was reported stolen from
the Engineering Classroom Building.
The item was valued at $1,000.
4/1- Criminal Mischief, 3rd Degree
Two doors were vandalized by unknown persons at the Pi Kappa Phi
fraternity house. The damages were
estimated at $300.

4/1- Possession of Alcohol, Marijuana
Four male students were sent to
University Disciplinary Committee for
alcohol violations and admission to
possession of marijuana.
4/2- Receiving Stolen Property, 3rd
Degree, No Liability Insurance
A traffic stop was made because of a
stolen license plate. The suspect was
arrested, issued two citations and
transported to Mobile Metro Jail.

4/2- Criminal Mischief, 3rd Degree
The passenger side window of a vehicle
was broken in the Delta parking lot. The
damages were estimated at $300.

4/3- Recovered Stolen Vehicle
A stolen vehicle was recovered in the
Hillsdale area.

4/4- Warrant- Possession of Marijuana, 2nd Degree
A non-affiliate was arrested at the ROTC
tower on an outstanding warrant with
the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.
4/5- Theft of Article from Auto
A textbook, iPod, Camelbak, hammock
and prescription pills were reported
stolen from a vehicle at the Instructional Laboratory Building. The items were
valued at $292.

4/5- Resisting Arrest, Disorderly
Conduct/Disturbing the Peace
A suspect was arrested during an attempt by a District Attorney’s Office official to serve a subpoena at the Student
Recreation Center.
4/6- Property Damage
A USA employee slung a piece of debris
through the side wall of a residence at
6205 Fontaine Dr. on a University riding lawnmower.

Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
I have qualms with the legitimacy of the
year’s SGA elections. I waited during the elections period for an email, but I never received
a ballot. My roommate Kathleen didn’t receive hers until the final morning of elections
at 11:32 AM. She wasn’t able to vote because
she couldn’t check her email until after class
at 3:49 PM. In her email Kathleen stated,
“Because of the tardy distribution of said
email, I was not able to vote. My roommate
did not receive the email at all. We both had
wanted to vote and are unhappy with this unfair circumstance. We also wonder if maybe
other students have had the same issues. If
so, the election results will not show the correct opinions of the student body. I hope that
something can be done to rectify this situation.”
I don’t feel that the SGA elections are valid
if a large portion of the student body didn’t
get to vote. The elections may not be properly representing the popular majority. The
voting period should have been longer. Everyone should have received a ballot. Finally,
they should have emailed everyone the first
day of elections. This is unprofessional and
unacceptable.
I approached Sean Ramsey Wednesday
at 4:00 PM with my complaint and he immediately set about trying to address the
issue. He asked me to recheck for an email
from SGA or Ceclia. I checked each of my

folders including my trash. The only email
I received from SGA announced when the
Bell Tower Ceremony was to be held. Sean
agreed to echo my complaint to the president
if I was sure I didn’t receive the email. Thank
you Sean! You have been an excellent senator and representative for engineering!
My roommate and I also emailed SGA
Wednesday at 3:55 PM. They responded to
me Thursday morning stating that I sent my
email at 1PM and that I had had plenty of
time to vote! Obviously not! I sent them a
print screen image of my sent folder with the
actual time. I believe that this interaction was
simply a misunderstanding and do not hold it
against SGA. It was simply a paws error.
Unfortunately, these interactions came too
late. Elections went through and at least two
potential voters were neglected. For every student that stepped forward with a complaint,
there may be countless others who said nothing. I should have emailed them sooner with
my own complaint, but the facts remain.
This should have been addressed before the
new senators and officers were announced
Thursday.
A disgruntled student,
Sarah Naylor.

The

Vanguard

happenings
The BP Oil Spill, One
Year Later

What: A year after the BP Oil Spill,
a panel of expert researchers will
discuss what we know about oil spill
recovery that we didn’t know a year
ago, what we have yet to discover
and what it means for the Alabama
coastline.
Where: Battlehouse Hotel, Moonlight Room A
When: April 13 at 10 a.m.
How much: Free
For more info: Contact Ben Brown,
Communications Director, Coastal
Recovery Commission of Alabama
at (828) 508-5002.

ANNOUNCEMENT
The Vanguard won four awards at the
Region 3 Mark of Excellence Awards
banquet put on by the Society of
Professional Journalists earlier this
month.
Photo Editor Colin McGee won first
place for sports photography for
four-year university with his photo
“Jags Still Undefeated.” Similarly,
former Photo Editor Simon Reinert
won first place in breaking news
photography for four-year university
with his photo “Car Slams Into
Campus Bookstore.”
Former webmaster Rodney
Thompson won second place for
best affiliated website for four-year
university. The Vanguard placed
second in the best all-around
non-daily newspaper for four-year
university.

CORRECTION
In last week’s Our View, The Vanguard
cited former SGA presidential
candidate Alan Waugh as having been
disqualified from last year’s senate
race. He was actually disqualified
from senate elections the year before
last. The Vanguard apologizes for this
error.

The

NEWS

Vanguard

April 11, 2011

3

Gamma 9 Weather Research Center

Forecast for April 11 - 17

Patrick Bigbie
Student
Meteorologist

We are going to start off the school week with some showers and thunderstorms on
Monday, with highs around the low 80s and overnight lows around the upper 50s.
Tuesday and Wednesday will improve with mostly sunny skies and highs around the
low 80s and lows around the mid 50s. Thunderstorms return for Thursday and Friday
and temperatures should remain the same with low 80s for highs and mid 50s for the
lows.
Looking at the weekend, we should have mostly sunny skies and highs around 80째
and lows around 60째.

For more local
weather information,
visit facebook.com/
stormteam4gamma9wx or
follow Patrick on Twitter:
@metwxpatrick.

4

Health care plan will cover older students
By Carey Cox

SENIOR REPORTER

College students no longer have to
scramble to find a job with health benefits
once they graduate or search for an individual health plan when they turn 23. The
recently passed federal health care reform
laws extend coverage for students who wish
to remain on their parents’ health insurance
until they turn 26.
“In the current job market, a lot of students are struggling to find jobs, and this
alleviates pressure students have,” Student
Health Center Director Beverly Kellen told
The Vanguard.
Until now, health plans were able to remove enrolled children usually at age 19,
sometimes older for full-time students, according to healthcare.gov.
“That is the single largest thing as far as
health care reform goes,” Kellen said.
For students who are older than 26 or
whose parents don’t have insurance, the
Student Health Center offers plans that
cover its services. The plans start at about
$817 per year, according to Kellen.
Christian Smith, a 24-year-old USA
graduate student, said she was kicked off of
her parents’ insurance when she turned 22.
Smith said she struggled finding a suitable plan to meet her health needs, because
she has asthma, which is considered to be
a pre-existing condition. She enrolled in
United Allied Health Insurance right after
being dropped from her parents’ policy, she
said.
Under United Allied Health, Smith had
to waive her right to using insurance when

The

NEWS

April 11, 2011

she went to receive a breathing treatment
“Unless you have excellent insurance,
at the Student Health Center. After this in- such as the kind I have been allowed to go
cident, she dropped her insurance and en- back under with my parents having insurcountered the same problem with another ance and not having insurance has been
insurance company.
the same … I am extremely fortunate to be
“I stayed uninsured for a couple months; at the age where healthcare reform has althe only difference between no insurance lowed me to return to my parents insurance
and insurance at this point was the price of since I am still in school and do not have
prescriptions,” Smith said. “I was still pay- a job where I can receive my own,” Smith
ing outrageous co-payments with insurance said.
to see the doctor.”
According to healthcare.gov, your plan
Since Smith left her parents’ federal is required to provide a 30-day period—no
health insurance plan,
later than the first day
she has not taken her
of your plan’s next
asthma medications
“plan year” or “policy
because of the high
year” that begins on
don’t know about you,
costs, even under an
or after September 23,
individual insurance but as a college student having
2010—to allow you
plan. She also avoided to pay almost $50 to see a
to enroll your adult
going to the doctor unchild. Your plan must
less she was “gravely doctor to get sinus medicine is a notify you of this enill” because her co-pay
rollment opportunity
was in upward of $50, little ridiculous. That’s a week’s
in writing.
she said.
Some students are
worth of groceries for me.”
“I don’t know about
still waiting for the
you, but as a college
open enrollment time
-Christian Smith
student having to pay
to be able to rejoin
USA Graduate Student
almost $50 to see a
their parents’ plans.
doctor to get sinus
Student Aaron Mumedicine is a little rinoz has not been able
diculous. That’s a week’s worth of groceries to rejoin his parents’ Tricare plan. Tricare’s
for me,” Smith said.
premium costs will be announced prior to
The Affordable Care Act that was passed start of enrollment later this spring, accordSeptember 2010 made it possible for stu- ing to a news release.
dents to rejoin their parents’ insurance.
“[It] would be nice if they said exactly
Smith went back to her parents’ insurance when I could enroll in this instead of ‘later
in January 2011, but some students have yet this spring’ though,” Munoz said.
to attain coverage because some employers’
contracts have yet to be renewed.

“I

Vanguard

Fundraiser
from page 1

sociation created the shirts to raise money for
the city.
Radiation leaking into Japan’s water
is Japanese students’ main concern.
“We like fish and sushi, if the fish get affected
and we eat the fish, we get affected,” Kazuhiro
Kishikawa, JSA president, said.
Kishikawa said that Japan is all too familiar
with radiation because of the atomic bomb that
was dropped in Nagasaki during World War II.
“We know how scary it is,” Kishikawa said.
“I don’t even want to imagine that.”
JSA members said they plan to have a bake
sale fundraiser once a week for the rest of the
semester.
The next bake sale will be Tuesday April 12
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Humanities Building. Facebook users can get more information
about upcoming fundraisers by searching for
the group “Donate to JAPAN from University
of South Alabama.”

Elections
from page 1

dates, so I expected a run-off,” Shephard told
The Vanguard. “Honestly, I didn’t know I’d
make it [to the runoffs].”
Al-Greene echoed this sentiment. “With
three people it’s hard to get a majority,” he
said.
With the field narrowed, the remaining candidates aren’t going to dramatically alter their
campaigning strategy. “I’m doing the same
things I’ve been doing to campaign, just more
of it,” Al-Greene said.
Editor’s note: We will continue to follow this story and post updates on The
Vanguard’s website as more information becomes available. For a complete
list of election winners, see p. 5 of this
issue of The Vanguard.

ccording to the Zoomerang survey
results, approximately 10.5 percent
of USA students voted in this past
week’s SGA elections. That’s an optimistic
way of looking at it.
What this number really means is that
just more than one in 10 students voted
for at least one person, and many of those
votes are probably based on the person,
rather than the candidate.
Given the sheer number of candidates
and available positions to keep track of,
however, this situation is understandable.
But it’s down to the wire now, with a
run-off for the next SGA president. Here’s
where we would say that your vote is important, but it’s not if you’re just going to
vote for a name.
The SGA doesn’t need just voters; it
needs informed voters. You only have two

Spotlight:

Bailey Hammond

“Twitter-pated”
Social
networking
sites have taken over
the world.
They’ve aided in rebellions (Egypt, anyone?) and there is even a movie about the
most well-known site, Facebook, called
“The Social Network.”
The biggest question about social networking via the Internet deals with safety.
Parents are concerned that their children
are being bullied, and we’ve seen the horror stories in the news about those cases
that ended in tragedy.
What can you do to protect yourself
from stalkers, identity thieves, child molesters and the like? And can you do anything?
Well, you can always set your privacy to
weed out the undesirables. It doesn’t hurt
to be selective about who you choose to
let view your profile, and it’s best to keep
personal information to a minimum just in
case someone hacks into your account.
As it is, Facebook is kicking out an average of about 20,000 underage users a day
in order to prevent people admin consider

candidates to learn about, and all their
platform information is available on The
Vanguard’s website this week at www.
usavanguard.com/opinion.
Next year is going to be rough – there are
a lot of experienced leaders leaving and a
lot of first-time senators coming in.
They’re going to need leadership that is
highly motivated, has realistic goals that
benefit as many people as possible, and
can facilitate future SGA projects.
Use the critical thinking skills you should
have developed in your college career and
help decide the future of USA. Check
your Jaguar1 account for the e-mail inviting you to vote.
The runoffs will happen April 13-14.

too young to be sharing personal details
from doing just that, according to CNN.
To be a Facebook member, you have to
be at least 13 years old, but there isn’t any
real way of determining if someone is lying about their age, since the individual
selects birth year when signing up.
To add to the already bad juju surrounding the Facebook phenomenon is the recent news about “Facebook depression.”
Apparently, some doctors are starting to
see a trend in youth
depression related to
Facebook usage.
According
to
Lindsay
Tanner
of the Associated
Press and her article
about Facebook depression, the trend
is worrying to the
”
doctors who recently wrote the new
American Academy of Pediatrics social
media guidelines.
“Researchers disagree on whether it’s
simply an extension of depression some
kids feel in other circumstances or a distinct condition linked with using the online site,” Tanner wrote in the article.
But what about the newest craze on the
social networking scene, Twitter. Is it better or worse, and should it really be compared?

Twitter is what I call the espresso shot
among social media coffee drinks. It’s a
short burst of 140 characters, a Tweet,
that is sent out to be read by followers and
sometimes people who have never met
you.
Tweets can be re-tweeted and passed
along from Twitterer to Twitterer.
“Trends” are the hot topics on Twitter,
and those change daily.
If you’re new to Twitter, it can feel overwhelming. There are
constant
updates
from the people you
follow, which go into
your feed.
Like
Facebook,
Twitter is a social
networking site, but
unlike
Facebook,
Twitter is geared
more toward conversations and actual
connections than bulky profiles and oodles
of information.
Twitter is quick and easily addictive if
you’re one of those communication junkies.
Twitter is handy for staying on top of
certain topics, and if you need information about something, it’s a solid bet that
someone who follows you or somehow saw
your Tweet will have the answer you seek.

“Doctors are starting
to see a trend in youth
depression related to
Facebook.

see TWITTER | 10

How do you feel about
the recent SGA
Elections?

Emily Deas
Nursing
Junior

Not everyone
received their ballots on time before
the election actually
ended. The SGA or
those who handle it
need to find a better
way to get them
out, perhaps not
in waves but all at
once.

It’s not so much
that two days isn’t
enough time to
vote, but rather the
question needing
to be asked is, are
two days enough for
people out of the
loop to realize it’s
going on, that they
haven’t gotten their
ballot? (A problem
since we’re always
told “it’ll come, just
wait” because it may
take a day of waiting
before you’re even
confident something
is wrong beyond
ballot-lag), and have
had time/knowledge
find out who to talk
to, to address the
issue and then get it
fixed.
I believe the
elections committee
is doing a wonderful job. I do wish
that the vandalism
would cease, it’s
kind of immature
and rude to the candidate to vandalize
their signs, etc.

Sean Ramsey
SGA Senator
Engineering

Stephen Purnell
Computer Sci.
Junior

I tried to read The
Vanguard about
the candidates but
I couldn’t get past
the guy who is running who wants the
fresh food thing to
stay open forever, or
something like that!
Sarah Kalaba
Psychology
Senior

The

OPINION

Vanguard

April 11, 2011

7

POINT COUNTERPOINT
Should the U.S. have involved itself in Libya’s affairs?

Editor’s Introduction: Libya has been in a state of unrest for some time now. The debate over this issue stems
from U.S. involvement in foreign affairs. Are we the “world cops” who should go and defend the defenseless?
Are we just in it for the oil? Or, do we have a moral duty to protect the protestors that are being victimized
by Libyan government? Some argue that this is simply not our fight and that we’re involved in so much already that we’ve stretched ourselves too thin. Writers this week debate both sides.

America Should Be Involved

We Can’t Afford Involvement

Arab States, the European Union,
The United States’ involvement
No one will disagree with the
and infrastructure throughout the
and NATO.
in this conflict has been relatively
fact that Muammar Gaddafi is a
nation. There would need to be new
In fact, it was the Libyan opposilow key, with emphasis directed
mad man.
schools built, hospitals constructed,
tion that called for a no fly zone,
to the roles of the North Atlantic
No one will argue that he is
farm and timber works revamped
so the claim that the U.S. entered
Treaty Organization (NATO) and
a force of tyrannical control,
and grain depositories constructed.
this fight merely because of oil is
the United Nations rather than
a mad man, and an ineffective
We would also need to make sure
preposterous.
overt U.S. dominance.
leader. He should be removed
things such as water, electricity, and
If it was merely over oil, why did
As with the past few military
from power.
sewer systems were up to code.
the U.S. decide to attack a regime
interventions by the United
He is oppressive and stands in
Gaddafi has ignored the basic
James
Colin
that was finally opening up to WestStates, opposition has been raised
the way of his country progressfunctions of government for years,
Fulford
ern oil companies? Ultimately it is
by those who are wary of U.S.
Al-Green and as a result, many of the basic
ing in the 21st century. Libya,
preposterous.
involvement in the affairs of other
however,
national resources are shoddy at best.
to think that this is a
nation states.
is not our
An undertaking of this kind would
colonial adventure.
Three key arguments have been raised
country, and we cantake years to finish and would, more than
At first glance it
against U.S. intervention in this conflict, all
not afford the resourc- likely, have a price tag in the billions.
seems like the isolationof which are traditional arguments against
es that it would take
We simply do not have that kind of
ist viewpoint is credible.
military intervention.
to become a force of
money to spend on other people at the
Considering that there
Anti-colonialists have claimed that this is
occupation.
moment.
are plenty of nasty
merely a front for taking over Libya’s natuThe task of removWe have a national deficit in the trillions.
dictatorships throughral resources rather than a genuine human
ing Gaddafi would be We are currently involved in two other
out the world, why
rights issue.
the easy part. Once
wars. Our main economic partner was just
intervene in this one
Isolationists on the other hand claim it’s
he is out of power, a
hit with a massive tsunami and earthquake.
and not the others?
not in the interests of the U.S. to involve
substitute government
One could of course make the argument
This is missing the
itself in the affairs of other nations.
would
have
to
be
that
we have a moral responsibility, as a
ottawasun.com
point. Libya has in the
Finally there are those who claim that
world superpower, to help less fortunate
Protestors in Libya wave Libyan and American formed.
past been a bad neigh- flags. This is symbolic of some Libyans wanting
in this time of economic hardship the last
Would it be the
countries.
bor, with Libyan intelli- American involvement to help to assist them rebel forces? Would it
thing we need is another long and costly
That it is our duty to protect democracy
gence operatives used to in their plight.
intervention in the Middle East and should
be an Allied coalition
wherever it is threatened. While in a norassassinate anti-Gaddafi
instead focus on ourselves.
government? Would
mal economic situation; I would of course
exiles in various nations
Libya is not a colonial adventure by
it be an entirely new
say we have this obligation.
throughout the world.
the U.S. by any reasonable stretch of the
entity?
But, what we have to remember is this;
Assassins have also hit the government of
imagination. If oil was the goal of the
Once we set up this new government we
if we get involved in this endeavor, then
Saudi Arabia, and in the 1980s and1990s
Libyan intervention, then why didn’t the
would then need to make sure it was up
there may be something later on down the
the Libyan military was involved with the
U.S. intervene during the Green Revoluto the challenge of governing. That would
line when, because of worsened economic
civil war in Chad.
tion in Iran?
require training police and military forces
conditions, the decision is made for us.
Libya has also lashed out against the
President Obama has also formed a
and establishing security.
Could you imagine a time when we canUnited States twice in the past, both times
coalition of a wide variety of nations.
We would also have to re-establish utility
see AFFORD | 13
see INVOLVED | 10
Included in this coalition are the League of

Cassie Fambro
Opinion Editor

SMOKE ON THE
WATER

Children’s Mental
Health Always Matters
America prefers a blind eye to the mental
health of our youth. Whether it’s the excuse
of coddling or giving too much power to
parents, we need to take a more vested interest in the mental health of our future.
Recently, an eight-year-old boy was pepper-sprayed by police during a violent outburst at his school in Colorado. This was
the third time police were called on this
child, and teachers were so scared of the

boy that they hid from him.
He allegedly wielded a sharp piece of
wood and threatened to stab teachers, cursing them and using the “f-word.” Publicly
only known as Aiden, he admitted that he
wanted to hurt the teachers.
Many people across the country reacted
generally negatively to the situation and
blamed cops for overreacting. What those
people don’t realize is that this is the same
district that holds Columbine High School.
They’re paying attention to him because
they learned the hard way in 1999 and
know that violence in schools cannot be tolerated.
Aiden screamed at the teachers that he
would kill them; teachers and police both
felt that the boy was completely capable of
stabbing them with that piece of wood. (I
would like to know where Aiden picked that
up, personally.)
Sitting with his mom, Aiden told Meredith Viera of The Today Show that he
had already dropped the wood when police

first hit him with pepper spray. His mother
is upset because she feels the police should
not have pepper-sprayed her child.
He has since been enrolled in a school
specializing in behavior disabilities, but
Aiden’s mother also says that therapists
have been unable to diagnose him with
anything psychologically. In fact, she says,
he only acts violently at school and not at
home or with a baby sitter.
This raises several red flags to me. I want
to know if the mother is lying, and I think
social services should want to know, too. He
could be acting out because of abuse.
He learned this unacceptable behavior
somewhere. If there is a trigger at school
that invoked that degree of rage within an
eight-year-old, then his teachers need to be
thoroughly interrogated because the abuse
might have occurred at school.
A child is not born violent. At eight, Aiden is not a genetic anomaly and destined to
be trouble for life. Something has enabled
him to know this behavior and act in an

antisocial manner. The video of Viera interviewing Aiden is chilling; in it, he seems
cold and almost bemused. Not showing any
remorse in his actions, it makes me think
the interview could become part of a news
reel in ten years when he’s on trial for murder.
So why can’t his therapists see it? Perhaps we are so accustomed to child violence
and bullying in modern times that we are
too jaded and desensitized to respond to it.
It’s normal to get suspended or fight,
and it’s nothing but a phase right? Not for
Aiden.
He is headed toward becoming a criminal and perhaps a psychopath. It will be
interesting to see if he follows the signs of
psychopathy and is perhaps later arrested
for arson or animal abuse.
To address the larger issue of being perceptive to children’s mental health, I worry
about the desensitization of society. The
kids that you see but avoid at Walmart besee AIDEN | 13

Etc.

8

April 11, 2011

The

Vanguard
Brett Williams, Etc. Editor
etc.editor@usavanguard.com

www.usavanguard.com/etc

Students
Faculty, students pioneer new way to learn
eligible for
By Nick Griffith
IRS tax credit
After their field trip to a national park in Georgia, some USA Earth Sciences students and faculty
are advocating for more major-specific trips to enhance the USA educational experience.
WEBMASTER

Simply being a student is one
way you can get money from
the IRS.

By Brett Williams
ETC. EDITOR

There are a lot of benefits and breaks
to being a student: software discounts,
food discounts and “free” access to South
Alabama football games.
There are all sorts of institutions that
cut students breaks just for being students, but did you
know that the IRS
was one of them?
The IRS offers
students what is
called an American Opportunity
Credit when filing
taxes during the
first four years of
school.
The credit is a
$2,500 tax credit for which most students
can easily qualify.
Although what the IRS offers as credit
to students isn’t necessarily a “break” in
the same sense as food discounts, it’s definitely a good thing for students who have
burned through their refund checks despite my advice.
Most students are eligible if they fulfill a certain criteria, which I will briefly
explain.
First, the applying student must be
actively “pursuing their undergraduate
degree or some other recognized educational credential,” according to the IRS’s
Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education. Students are only eligible for the first
four years of postsecondary school.
In 2009, the credit was widened from
the first two years of postsecondary
school to include students who had been
enrolled for the first four. Also, the tax
credit is available each year of postsecondary school so a student may qualify as
a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior
provided they meet the rest of the criteria.
Second, the student’s yearly wages
must not exceed $90,000 if filing single
or $180, 000 if married and filing jointly.
This one doesn’t require much clarification, so we’ll move on. Third, students
must have paid for “qualified education
expenses” during 2010 or anytime within
the first three months of 2011.
Qualified education expenses include
tuition primarily, but can include related
costs students incur like fees related to
classes. However, gas and mileage probably wouldn’t be included. The last major qualification is that the same expenses
that the student is seeking to use to apply for the credit have not already been
covered by a scholarship, grant, GI bill or
by an employer. So, if you didn’t actually
pay anything, you don’t qualify.
see TAXES | 9

USA has finally established a school legacy.
The University is slowly developing into
a clone of other campuses boasting striking
architecture, like the University of Alabama.
Grandiose brick portals, the masterful Moulton Tower and the innovative Student Rec
Center are pushing more money into renovation projects for the our school’s image.
The end of the past decade has shown
USA’s tendency to emulate major Southeastern schools with the establishment of the
football program and, more recently, the ecofriendly bicycle project.
USA’s copycat trends suggest an effort to
transition to being a more traditional four-year
school and recent SGA candidates’ platforms
show this growing momentum to develop
campus community and school traditions.
Alma Mater anthems and game day tailgating are commonplace customs among most
universities, but any unique tradition that
facilitates a campus-wide community is painfully absent from this campus. Fortunately, the
students and faculty are pioneering a solution
that could distinguish the University of South
Alabama from other colleges in the region.
Geography, anthropology, geology, meteorology and biology disciplines, to name a
few, are undertaking a hands-on approach to
education in lieu of administrative support for
study abroad programs.
“The University has several foreign studies options, with many disciplines, which are
poorly supported by the administration and
frequently incorrectly regarded as unaffordable by students,” Earth Sciences Professor
Dr. Lary Dilsaver said. “If one qualifies for a
student loan, it can be applied to such a program. In the big picture, $4,500 for a multiweek trip abroad while you’re young is a small
price to pay.”
Dilsaver advocated the learning experience of study abroad programs, but, similar
to other faculty members, he has resorted to
leading field trips for his students; he and his
class embarked on the annual three-day trip to
Cumberland Island National Seashore March
31, of which I was in attendance.
My experience surpassed any preconceived
expectations, both educationally and culturally. A true eye-opener, this geographical venture applied the theories and lectures from
inside the classroom.
The breathtaking natural scenery of the
park and Dilsaver’s expert knowledge delivered the most beneficial and complete educational experience of my degree. I consider this
field trip a miniature study abroad program,
and junior German exchange student and
fellow Cumberland Island adventurer Toby
Maier affirmed the same.
As a Geography major, Maier has participated in study abroad programs in Australia, Costa Rica, Panama, Italy, Singapore,
Cambodia, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates,
Greece and Ireland to name a few.
When asked about his thoughts concerning
the field trip to Cumberland Island National
Seashore, Maier said, “The trip’s participants
were amazing; the atmosphere was great.
see TRIP | 11

Photos courtesy of Cumberland Island trip students

A view from Cumberland Island National Seashore maritime oak forest overlooks the salt marshes
of the national park.

A boardwalk sign guides nature adventurers through the exotic interdune scrub ecosystem to the
pristine beaches of Cumberland Island National Seashore.

The

ETC.

Vanguard

April 11, 2011

9

No diving into oyster industry; Water’s too shallow
In a Blog post with the same title, South Alabama Biology major Catharine Weber expresses her concerns about the drastic
revenue plummet in oyster farming over the past five years after conducting research on environmental policy, oysters and state
practices.

By Brett Williams
ETC EDITOR

While working with Auburn’s sea lab on Dauphin Island, junior Biology major Catharine Weber learned about how much
of Alabama, like many states along the Gulf Coast, depends on
the possibilities for employment that can come from jobs like
oyster harvesting. When Weber dug a little deeper, however, she
learned that it wasn’t as easy as dropping a line or a bucket into
a body of water.
Weber spoke frankly in our interview and expressed her concerns about all the red tape surrounding trying to rejuvenate
oyster farming in Alabama. Oyster farming brought in about
$3.5 million in revenue to Alabama in 2005, according to Weber, before the state stepped in.
Weber’s blog, “theoystercolumn” cites “uncontrolled harvest,
drill predators and a desire to use shells for concrete decimated
the productivity of the public beds.”
Alabama spent $1.6 million attempting to regulate and control harvesting. The state used that money to move oysters from
where they grew naturally to the mouth of the Mobile Bay
where it had noticed better growing conditions. Weber says that
was a missed opportunity to bring jobs to the bay area as well.
Last year, Alabama reported that oyster harvesting brought in
only $76,000 in revenue according to Weber’s blog.
“The state has continued to foot the bill for an oyster industry
instead of increasing the economic freedom index on private
oyster rights.”
Aside from moving the bivalves, Alabama has in place an
extensive permit process for oyster harvesting that Weber says
“isn’t encouraging.” However, Alabama may just be afraid to
go beyond what similar states like Texas and Maryland have
done to promote oyster harvesting. In Maryland, their extensive
harvesting permit process has made news when U.S. Senators
Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-MD) described it
as needing to be “streamlined.”
Weber says she feels as though the state should be cultivating
individuals’ interest in oyster farming instead of making it so
much more difficult to harvest because harvesting has “more
upsides” than negatives. Senators Cardin and Mikulski told
Army Corps of Engineers in Maryland something similar in a
letter written in March.
“Harvesting oysters creates jobs,” Weber said. “The farmer
sells the oysters to local markets and then markets can buy them

greenascot.com

Grown in a hatchery at the bottom of Mobile Bay, these oysters were mentioned as "the best Gulf oysters I've eaten lately" in a food
blog written and published on www.robbwalsh.com, a website that chronicles the blogs of food critics from Texas.

and sell them to customers. Weber says she likes the senators
“one-stop shop” system idea that would allow farmers to go directly to the state to obtain all the permits they’d require including their general permits because Alabama has a similar system
that is full of the proverbial hoops to jump through.
“We believe that oyster [harvesting] has the potential to yield
numerous benefits in the Maryland portions of the Chesapeake
Bay and its tidal waters,” wrote Cardin and Mikulski.
In Alabama, the rules are complex. In order to become an
oyster farmer, applicants must lease water bottoms or have the
rights to grow oysters in an area conducive to farming. There
can’t be any underwater vegetation. Prospective farms can’t be
built on sea grass beds. Plus, the prospective land must be surveyed which costs thousands of dollars. The thousands of dol-

One Day Without Shoes campaign explained

USA’s participation was part of a
worldwide movement to help millions
in underprivileged countries stave off
injuries from walking barefoot.

Taxes

from page 8

By Brett Williams
ETC EDITOR

How effective the “One Day without Shoes” campaign was on
campus is something that’s subjective to students, but it’s entirely
objective when you look at which students helped by simply walking barefoot for a day. The website behind the One Day without
Shoes campaign, www.onedaywithoutshoes.com, gives us a look
into the campaign.
The site talks about Maria, a 10-year-old Guatemalan girl, who
has never owned a pair of new shoes. Her feet were exposed to
possibly contracting infectious diseases, intestinal worms and other
illnesses.
The goal behind the “One Day with Shoes” campaign was for
people around the world to experience just one day of what Maria’s life was like trying to farm on mountainous landscapes and
rugged terrain.
The campaign centered around Ethiopia, where in some areas just wearing shoes is a strong preventative measure to protect
from fatal illnesses. Illnesses contracted such as podoconiosis, which
causes swelling of the feet and legs due to prolonged exposure to
irritant soil, could be prevented by just wearing shoes to keep street
children from stepping on broken glass and sewage.

lars alone serve as a deterrent to potential farmers. Then, they
still have to buy the gear needed to farm.
Aside from the obvious economic implications, oysters are
also filter feeders that remove nitrogen, phosphorous, and carbon from the water which makes the water less green. So, the
more oysters the better. This is a hidden economic benefit of
harvesting oysters, Weber said: “It affects tourism.” It also helps
the environment because it prevents more algae blooms in the
water.
Oysters also act as reef systems by creating structures that
become habitats for fish hatcheries, crabs, lobsters and other
water creatures. Right now, farming’s costs and hassle outweigh
its potential benefits however and until that changes Alabama
may miss out on a million dollar industry year after year.

Colin McGee | Photo Editor

Sophomores Andrew Bradshaw (left) and Brian Egan (right) chalk
out awareness for children without shoes next to the Humanities
Building Tuesday.

Students who take out loans for school do
qualify, but must not have received a refund of
all their expenses. However, the credit is good
for up to $2,500 so it’s my understanding that
partial credit can be received if scholarships and
grants only covered a part of a student’s tuition
expenses.
Moreover, students seeking to claim the credit
must not attempt to use the same expenses as
deductions elsewhere in their tax document otherwise they won’t qualify.
Other noteworthy qualifications include that
you not file your taxes as married filing separately and that you are not a nonresident alien
who did not elect to be treated as a resident alien
for tax purposes, but it’s best that you speak with
whomever files your taxes to explain these criteria.
Failing to meet just one of these qualifications
means that you are unable to claim the American Opportunity Credit, but it’s a worthwhile
venture this year if you haven’t already filed
your taxes.
If you have, then try again next year.

10 April 11, 2011

The

Vanguard

Twitter

Involved

For one, Twitter is chiefly a business
site. Why business?
Well, it is fun and easy to use, but it
makes self-promotion so easy. That’s why
so many actors and musicians are on
Twitter.
It allows them to connect actively with
their fans—thus making the fans feel
special—and keep everyone updated on
their new movies, CDs, etc.
When Charlie Sheen finally lost his last
marble, Twitter blew up like it was hit
with a bomb.
Something interesting that I found
while trolling the blogosphere was a video
on technabob.com of a Mercedes Benz
engineer, Werner Scherenberg, actually
controlling a car with Tweets.
Mercedes Benz is working on a project
where cars can be controlled via Twitter
and the company even hosted a “Tweet
Race” in February won by Team S. The
entire race can be viewed at mbtweetrace.com.
It’s insane to think that 50 years ago,
we were communicating mainly via home
phones, and the Internet was some sort
of vague government conspiracy that was
supposed to control minds.
These days, we thrive on the networking sites available to us and communicate
in so many ways that it’s easy to see how
Facebook can cause depression and cars
can be controlled with 140 characters or
less.
It’s not just the communication though,
that makes the networking sites attractive.
It’s the ease of using them.
It’s just too easy to stay in touch these
days. That’s a good thing.

directing its attacks towards targets of questionable military value.
The April 5, 1986, bombing of a West
German discotheque and the December 21,
1988 Lockerbie bombing were both directed
against U.S. civilian and military targets.
Combined with the fact that Gaddafi’s
regime has open fired upon those who
protested against him and would massacre
the rebels if he won, the U.S. has a vested
interest in seeing that he does not achieve in
his goals.
Financially, war is never in the vested
interest of a nation. Forget the myths you
were told in history class, World War II was
costly in resources and manpower for every
nation involved in it.
Instead of producing consumer goods or
getting people back to work, the war merely
delayed the continuing effects of a global
economic downturn.
Interventions like the one in Libya should
never be turned down merely because of
fiscal costs.
If the regime of Gaddafi had been allowed to successfully destroy the opposition
forces, the U.S. would have to once again
spend money and resources monitoring a
regime that has shown great abuse towards
its citizens.
Allowing Gaddafi to stay in power would
shift the financial burden onto a future generation at a greater cost in both money and
human rights.
All three arguments also ignore the fact
that from the very beginning of the conflict

from page 6

from page 7

the U.S. had openly backed the anti-Gaddafi protestors in Libya.
We had called for restraint by the Libyan
dictatorship and had demanded that they
respected the human rights of its citizens.
Time and again the Libyan government
ignored peaceful demands by the U.S.
and other nations, leading to an inevitable
choice for those opposed to such senseless
violence.
UN Security Council Resolution 1973
was not the first option we took, but it was
the only option we had when Gaddafi
continued to ignore the international community.
Ultimately, the U.S. has approached
Libya properly given the circumstances
involved. Outright intervention was thrown
out, and a UN Security Council resolution
was sought instead. U.S. intervention is both
internationally legal and a moral necessity at
this time.
Imagine if we had allowed the Libyan
rebels to be massacred after publicly supporting their resistance against such a
heinous regime.
Imagine the tarnish on our international
reputation and image, and imagine how
future dissidents would view U.S. statements
of solidarity if we had allowed the regime
to brutally slaughter its own people without
retaliation.
Fortunately for the U.S., it has chosen the
right path.

The

Vanguard

ETC.

April 11, 2011

Tournament kicks off week of Sexual Assault
Awareness events with crowd at Intramurals

Brett Williams I Etc. Editor

Dozens of teams took part in the friendly, double-elimination kickball tournament Saturday hosted by the Rape Crisis Center of Mobile.

By Brett Williams
ETC EDITOR

Remember the good ole days, when you
could leave all your frustrations with the
referee for making a bad call? Well, Campus Intramurals subjected its staff to your
gripes and complaints Saturday morning.
While engaged with the Intramural staff,
I found it appropriate and slightly comical
that they were getting so much animosity
from teams of people who had signed up to
participate in a tournament meant to help
stave off violence.
Teams gathered from all over the city in
costume and some also in guise to take part
in this year’s first Sexual Assault Awareness
Event sponsored by the Rape Crisis Family
Counseling Center of Mobile.
It was all in good fun. Because of some
early morning confusion, several teams
were made to forfeit their games without
even stepping foot on the fields because they
either didn’t know where they’d be playing

or had no idea it was their turn. However, it
was probably hard to take many complaints
seriously when the guy complaining was
wearing Aztec face paint or a pair of pink
and yellow long stockings.
So, they left their frustration with Intramural staff as opposed to leaving it on the
field. Still, eventually everyone played because in a double-elimination tournament,
even the losers can win.
Last year’s champion, the Inferno, returned and was victorious in their first
game, but the losers didn’t seem to mind.
“Great game! You guys won even though
you lost,” one Inferno member shouted as
the two teams shook hands after the game.
Others came to spectate and cheer on
their family and friends. The games began
at 9 a.m. and continued through Saturday
afternoon until around 4 p.m.
Student Services and the Student Government Association provided food and
water for participants and the Rape Crisis
Center gave participants a free T-shirt.

Brett Williams I Etc. Editor

The Grasskickers and mascot Juno caped and
cowled before finding out that their first tournament opponent had forfeit.

Shockwave engine becomes reality
By Gabe Grimes
STAFF WRITER

Do you hate pistons and camshafts, but
love driving automobiles? Do you wish
the explosion that your automobile’s engine uses to create propulsion could be a
little more awesome?
Well, it seems people at Michigan State
University (MSU) have worked out a motor that utilizes shockwaves to accomplish
all those things you’ve been dreaming
about.
NewScientist magazine reports that
Dr. Norbert Müller, one of the developers
of this engine, claims that this new design
could make a vehicle 20 percent lighter
and more fuel-efficient by removing some
mechanical parts.
MSU said the engine would use 60
percent of the fuel to move the vehicle

forward, compared with 15 percent that
a normal vehicle uses.
The new engine is designed to be used
in hybrid cars, as it uses fuel to generate
electricity.
So don’t expect to see this engine at
drag races or monster truck rallies any
time soon. Sorry.
The heart of the new engine is a rotating disc called a “rotor,” which has curved
fins radiating outward from the center.
Around the disc are two curved metal
pieces that serve to block the escape of
gases. These metal pieces don’t completely encircle the rotor, so gases are allowed
to escape at certain points.
The way it works is pretty simple: the
air-fuel mixture enters the rotor disc
through an inlet, and the rotor spins to
cut off the escape of said mixture.
This causes the mixture to be com-

pressed, which creates a shockwave that
moves from the outer edge of the rotor
disc toward the center.
Just as the shockwave is about to reach
the center or the rotor disc (where the inlets are located), the rotor spins to close
off the inlet.
The compressed mixture is then ignited as the rotor spins to open the escape
area, and the escaping gases push on the
curved fins as they leave, causing the rotor to spin and generate electricity.
Air-fuel mixture comes in, rotor spins,
mixture gets compressed, shockwave, rotor spins, mixture gets ignited, explosion
turns rotor.
Like most internal combustion engines,
this engine isn’t overly complex once you
see how it operates.

11

Trip

from page 8

“I’d say that field experience is irreplaceable.
As much as we’ve learned and studied in class,
it is of greater worth if combined with the experience of our field trip,” he said.
Educationally, Maier said he believes study
abroad programs provide an unparalleled experience beyond classroom education; the ultimate benefit of his travels are the community
he develops with his peers, and my personal
experience reflects Maier’s sentiment precisely,
he said.
“There is no comparable educational experience,” Dilsaver said. “Seeing the reality, the
issues, the landscapes of any place, especially
with someone who can explain the story behind the scenery, far outweighs lectures, readings and any other classroom experience.”
Dilsaver was right. The park experience was
incredible, and he would know – he wrote a
book about it.
The eccentricities we experienced of the
four habitat mixtures were bizarre: maritime
oak forest, interdune scrub, salt marsh, and
sublime beaches were emotional to witness
first-hand. Exotic Spanish Moss, an epiphyte,
swung lackadaisically from the branches of every live oak tree as far as the eye could see. Native Sabal palmetto flourished across the forest
floor, bursting upright into fully matured trees
near the interdune and beach ecosystems. Wild
horses trotted throughout the maritime oak forest, venturing down the untouched beaches of
Georgia’s largest barrier island.
The historical ruins of Dungeness, built by
the immediate family of steel magnate Andrew
Carnegie, are beautifully preserved in complement with the remains of the Carnegie Estate.
And the unique legislative situation of Cumberland Island National Seashore exemplifies
the national values that compete against laws
of ecological management, historic preservation, and recreation policy governing the nation’s national park system.
The park’s overwhelming beauty and
uniqueness has improved my benefit from class
lectures and has ignited new friendships within
my discipline.
Each student participant developed a close
friendship during the trip, and we continue to
be friends. This fresh community of Earth Science majors highlights the lacking unification
between USA students. No prevailing USA
tradition currently connects all students of any
discipline to other South Alabama Jaguars.
From my affiliation as an Ole Miss alum,
there is no experience like football game day
on the Oxford, Miss. campus. School tradition
mingles thousands of Ole Miss students in a
massive tailgating experience that leaves social
barriers behind; a tradition that bonds all Ole
Miss Rebels.
Last week, numerous SGA candidates campaigned to facilitate these types of student traditions that could unify every South Alabama
Jaguar into a connected college community.
Hopefully, USA administrators and newly
elected SGA officers will listen closely: disciplinary-based field trips and study abroad programs can incorporate hands-on education
and community development that will allow
USA to offer a unique school experience.
Heed the advice of Professor Lary Dilsaver,
“I believe that field trips can be used in most
departments in the university if constructed to
demonstrate and reinforce other forms of education. It already happens in the international
programs.”
Study abroad and associated programs
should be facilitated to give every USA student a complete education. The administration
should transition these minor research trips
into an integral part of USA education -- for
the sake of school tradition, campus community, University credibility, and our future.

Arts & Entertainment

12

Vanguard Staff
editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com

April 11, 2011

Concert Choir
revisits local
symphony
By Timothy Borland
STAFF WRITER

USA’s Concert Choir performed Beethoven’s
Ninth Symphony with the Mobile Symphony
Orchestra at Mobile’s historic Saenger theatre
to an enthusiastic crowd April 9 - 10.
This pairing of professional and collegiate
talent occurred for the first time at the Holiday Pops Concert last December; and last
weekend’s well-received performance may
further solidify this collaboration as an annual
tradition.
Many USA students and alumni are not
aware of the crucial role USA has shared with
the preservation of Mobile’s historic Saenger
theater. J.H. and A.D. Saenger of New Orleans
commissioned renowned architect Emile Weil
to design “Alabama’s Greatest Showplace.”
The building took over a year to construct
and cost half a million dollars. When the
Saenger opened Jan 19, 1927, the elegant
design inspired many to bestow the title “the
most beautiful playhouse in all of Dixie” upon
the building.
By the early 1970s, this “movie palace” was
destined to become a parking lot until USA
purchased the landmark on the eve of its demolition to function as a recital hall for the
University’s various performing arts.
On Oct. 1, 1999, the City of Mobile purchased the Saenger Theatre from USA and
created the non-profit org Center for the Living Arts, Inc to operate the facility and perform a nearly $6 million-restoration partially
funded with donations from the local community.
The Saenger is now a world-class performance venue hosting notable recording artists
such as Wilco, Robert Plant, and Buddy Guy.
Robert Cray was so impressed by the venue
that he filmed his first DVD there Feb. 21
2010.
For upcoming events and ticket info, visit
SaengerMobile.com. The box office is open
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For
more information, call 251-208-5600.

Shenanigans await at O’Daly’s
Whether you seek a
reasonably priced car bomb
or conversation with friends
on comfy bar stools, O’Daly’s
Irish Pub in downtown
Mobile offers a welcoming
social atmosphere where
you can escape campus for a
while.

By Colin McGee
PHOTO EDITOR

As the last exams of the semester pile
up, term paper procrastination builds,
and final exams loom, we students feel
the need to release a little bit of stress.
Some people have different ways of
doing this, but most normal college kids
- at schools other than South - generally find themselves unwinding in a bar
(Buffalo Wild Wings & the bar formerly
known as Fabacher’s do not count).
This week, if you feel the need to drop
some money on liquid courage, I feel
you should head to O’Daly’s Irish Pub
on lower Dauphin Street - diagonal from
Wintzell’s Oyster House, in between
Warren and Cedar streets.
This bar has it all: hot, well dressed
bartenders (that includes you too,
Snead), great beer on tap, comfortable bar stools, intimate settings, $4 car
bombs all the time, an indoor no-smoking atmosphere, and a back patio area
where you can smoke, drink, and play
cornhole.
Every week they come up with inventive drink specials or parties.
They have repeating nightly drink
specials as well. For instance, Thursdays
are pint nights, where if you are kind
and drink enough, you can keep your
pint glass.
For those of you in the service industry Tuesday is your night, with half off

For a good time, head out to O’Daly’s in downtown Mobile, diagonally located across from
Wintzell’s Oyster House.

for those in their work outfits.
Another great fact about this bar is
that it is a “membership-only” bar.
Which, as most any downtown frequenter knows, they can stay open until
as late as they want. The specials and
bartenders are not the only aspects that
give this bar the spotlight this week.
The second you walk in, you are greeted by a rich smell of hops and an air of
dark, masculine hardwood - O’Daly’s is
planked in dark hardwood which covers
every wall and the bar itself.
The bar may be intimate, but it is not
necessarily small.
This intimacy is achieved from the
relatively narrow, continuous long hall
that spills out into the back patio.
For those non-aesthetic needs, black,
plush bar stools are provided, and a few

flat screen televisions entertain you in
the corner of your eye when that girl/
guy you are talking just isn’t that interesting.
Depending on the night, you can usually be prepared for either some kicking Irish drinking music, a bartender/
patron’s playlist, or if it is the weekend
one of the favored local artists playing
up front.
You can usually find me there, drinking an Abita Andygator or Sweetwater
Blue on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.
These days, however, I am a good student, and I won’t be going out until after
exams.
Drink up, study, and enjoy.

ing screamed at and beaten are also
fighting in school.
Violence breeds violence, hitting
causes hitting, and screaming leads to
more screaming. Teachers and schools
may want to promote a privacy policy
of not asking the tough questions, but
for the future of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s children I
sincerely hope that we all recognize
that we need to start asking how they
got those bruises and speaking up at
Walmart.
Aiden is only eight years old and already cursing and threatening adults
with murder. Many other children display behavior problems at this age no
where near as severe and they permeate throughout their school careers,
maybe leading to expulsion.
Addressing the issues early with preventative psychological intervention
such as anger management and other
counseling is key to curbing much of
the violence in our culture today.

Afford
from page 7

not repair our interstates because we
are financially insolvent?
Will governmental offices have to
go to a four-day workweek because we
cannot pay the power bills?
Or, will we continue to borrow and
print money until our dollar is of such
poor quality that it takes a barrel full
to buy a loaf of bread?

Write for The
Vanguard!

Send Writing
Samples to
Editor.in.Chief@
USAVanguard.com

13

14

April 11, 2011

Matt Weaver
Sports Editor

CHARGING THE
MOUND

Barber
Motorsports Park
LEEDS, Ala. -- I like race cars and motorsports. I don’t even try to hide it. Maybe
it’s my Southern heritage and love of paint
schemes.
Regardless of why, I found my Shambala
this past week while in Birmingham for the
IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Alabama.
It’s called the Barber Motorsports Museum and it’s located just off the grounds
of Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Ala.
Home to the world’s largest collection
of motorcycles, the Barber Museum is a
celebration of life through motorsports.
Opened in 2003, the museum was developed alongside the 2.38-mile road course
just off downtown.
The track itself has been called the most
beautiful course in North America and the
museum follows its example. The rear of
the museum sits just off turns 8 and 9 of
the race course and offers a stunning view
of track action when cars are turning laps.
Despite all of that, the motorcycles are
still the top draw.
The museum features machines from
every era of development and is even the
home of a replica of the original Harley
Davidson manufacturing plant – a one
room shed that produced bikes for over 15
years.
A second-floor room mimics the high
banks of Daytona International Speedway
and displays all of the track’s most famous
race-winning machines. Ducati, Honda,
Suzuki and many other makes are appropriately hung on a 30 degree-banked wall.
Another floor celebrates motorcycles
in World War II and how its technology
helped win the war for the Allies.
The bottom floor even acts as the restoration floor for the damaged and donated
cars and bicycles.
An eclectic group of employees and volunteers spend hours a day, restoring these
vehicles to their former glory. Afterward
the cars are rented out and put on parade
before the track’s multitude of events.
Barber Historic Museum also hosts a
large number of Lotus race cars. Lotus, a
British nameplate, has an extensive history
in Formula One and IndyCar, most recently with Lotus Renault and KV Racing
Technology respectively.
George Barber envisioned the facility as
a part botanical garden and animal sanctuary, and his dream looks fantastic.
No trip to Birmingham or the race track
would be complete without a visit to this
amazing building. The IndyCar Series
Honda Grand Prix of Alabama was won
by Team Penske’s Will Power (29 years old)
and celebrated the future of the motorsports.
Juxtaposed against the history of the motorcycle museum, Power’s victory and the
promise of racing’s future completed this
writer’s weekend.

Sports

The

Vanguard
Matt Weaver, Sports Editor
sports.editor@usavanguard.com

www.usavanguard.com/sports

Softball Prepares for Tournament Run

South Alabama Concluding Best Season in Program History
By Jake Wasdin
SPORTS REPORTER

Becky Clark always had high hopes for
this year’s softball team and it’s showing
on the diamond this year.
Clark, who stated in a previous interview, “This may be the best team I’ve
coached since I have been here,” has
lead South Alabama to its best record in
program history so far this year.
Despite the four-game losing slide, the
Lady Jags are making a strong surge toward the end of the season. The Lady
Jags have posted a steady (27-11, 7-6) record this season, which has the Jaguars
sitting in the fourth spot of the Sun Belt
Conference.
The Jaguars posted a 15-game winning streak this season including wins
over Louisiana-Monroe, Virginia Tech,
Ole Miss, and Florida A&M.
The Jags, even with their 27-11 record,
have 13 more games left in the regular
season, 11 which are Sun Belt Conference games. These 12 games left in the
SBC could put USA higher in the SBC
Tournament rankings.
The Jags are led by Meghan Collins
and Brittany Fowler offensively this year.
Collins hitting a team best .427 at the
plate generating 41 hits, three home
runs, 19 RBI’s, and scored on 26 runs.
Fowler, USA’s second best percentage
hitter, is hitting .402 on the season. Along
with a great hitting percentage, Fowler
has also hit seven home runs, 43 hits, 45
RBI’s, and has scored on 30 runs.
The team as a whole look to be clicking together.

usajaguars.com

The South Alabama softball team dropped a series to Sun Belt leading Louisiana-Lafayette at
Jaguar Field. Despite the losses, the Lady Jags are still 27-11 and 7-6 in conference play.

“The girls are all business when it
comes to the game,” Clark said.
The Lady Jags have come together
this season to hit 38 homeruns, scoring
239 runs, and have come away from the
season with 310 hits.
As the regular season is only a couple
weeks away, look for the Lady Jaguars to

keep a strong work ethic and snap their
losing streak.
USA looks to finish strong in the Sun
Belt with 11 more conference games left
to earn a top seed in the SBC Tournament which begins May 11.

Commentary

Bandwagon-jumping plagues sports
By Ryan Franklin
SPORTS COLUMNIST

greenascot.com
Bulls guard Derrick Rose has garnered a lot of
support in leading his team to the top seed.

Remember when Kobe Bryant was the leading NBA Most Valuable Player candidate?
And Lebron James? And then Dwayne
Wade? Me, too.
Derrick Rose is the current hot choice
among those with an opinion to share. While
Rose has done an incredible job in leading Chicago to the number one seed, his choice selection is part of a larger problem in the world of
sports: Bandwagon jumping.
I have no problem with people making their
predictions about who the MVP will be at the
end of the season, or those who predict the Super bowl, NBA Finals, World Series, etc., but
it really drives me insane when people hop on
the bandwagon when a team is doing well and
neglect them when they lose.
It’s even worse when people all of a sudden
become fans of a team because a certain A-list
player joins the roster.
A perfect example was when Lebron James
and Chris Bosh joined Wade in South Beach.
Their fan-base increased tenfold overnight.
Fans wanted nothing to do with the Heat fol-

lowing their 2006 NBA Finals Championship.
They were washed up and mediocre as evident by their first round playoff exit in 2007.
And the following season was more of an
embarrassment, with the Heat winning only
15 games and losing 67.
The next few seasons were par for the course,
barely making it over .500. Fans were nowhere
to be found in the always-busy Miami entertainment scene during their team’s hard times.
Following the addition of James and Bosh,
fans began coming out of nowhere claiming
their lifelong loyalty to the Miami Heat and
Dwayne Wade. Such bandwagon jumpers are
a joke and an eyesore to professional sports.
I wish people would stop lying to themselves
and just admit they are only a fan because their
team is winning.
Another bandwagon incident was in the
NFL when Randy Moss was unceremoniously
booted off the New England Patriots roster and
traded back to the Minnesota Vikings.
People who were dismissing the Vikings after
a slow start all of a sudden praised Moss as the
key to getting Minnesota back into the playoff
picture.
see WAGON | 15

The

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SPORTS

April 11, 2011

Wagon

15

Sports Briefs

from page 14

That didn’t happen, and Moss failed to stay
with Minnesota for even a full month. He was
later traded to Tennessee, and we all know how
that turned out.
Speaking of the NFL, who could forget the
infamous duo of Terrell Owens and Chad
Ochocinco.
When the Bengals signed Owens, analysts
and bandwagon jumpers were quick to predict
a Super Bowl ring for the Bengals.
They completely missed the fact that Carson
Palmer is still quarterbacking that team. They’ll
never win a championship as long as he’s under
center for Cincinnati.
The Bengals finished that season with a measly record of 4-12.
Either you like a team or you don’t. Not saying it is wrong to give credit where credit is due,
but stay with your team if you’re a fan and stay
with your initial prediction if you’re a pundit.
Get off the bandwagon, be a true fan and
stick with your team through thick and thin.
Follow the Vanguard Sports Section on Twitter @
USAVGSPORTS

Louisiana-Lafayette Sweeps South
Alabama Softball

Colin McGee | Photo Editor

South Alabama shortstop Logan Kirkland tosses the ball to second baseman Trey Sorrels to attempt to turn a double play. The Jags lost to Florida Atlantic, 12-10 on Sunday.

The University of South Alabama
softball team fell Sunday afternoon in the
series finale to Sun Belt Conference leader
Louisiana-Lafayette 10-2 in five innings at
Jaguar Field.
With the loss, the Jaguars are now
27-11 overall and 7-6 in conference play.
With the series sweep, the Ragin’ Cajuns
maintain their lead in the conference and
improve to 32-6 and 10-2 in the league.
“We had a tough weekend,” USA head
coach Becky Clark said. “When games
like this happen, you make adjustments
and I know what adjustments that need
to be made. My job is to figure out what
we need to differently and work on those
things. This is a very tough conference and
you have to be tough with it.”
ULL junior pitcher Ashley Brignac (18-3)
was credited with the win after going five
innings in the circle, striking out six and
walking only two.
South Alabama Baseball Drops
Drops Two to Florida Atlantic

NCAA Men’s Basketball

53

41

Connecticut Denies Butler, 53-41

Bulldogs Shoot Just 18.8 Percent in Men’s Basketball Championship

What a bummer?
What began as a defensive masterpiece by
both teams quickly turned into a low-scoring
blowout. How is such a thing even be possible?
I’ll tell you.
Butler shot just 18.8 percent from the floor.
In their previous five games, Butler had shooting percentages of 40.7, 46.2, 42.2, 40.0, and
35.6.
Not that Connecticut shot any better in
victory -- they only managed to shoot 34.5
percent.
The end result was the third-lowest shooting percentage in NCAA Championship history and one of the least dramatic contests of
recent memory.
Bummer.
-Matt Weaver, Sports Editor

March Madness came to an end on April
4, but it was hardly a finish worth waiting for.
Most disappointing was that the game began with promise, but fell apart from the start
of the second half.
This was due to a terribly low score caused
by an extremely low field goal percentage from
both teams. Butler made only 12-of-64 shots,
which may be the worst championship statistic
that I have ever seen.
Connecticut’s Kemba Walker still managed
to score 16 points – gargantuan by Monday’s
standards. His teammates’ defense stifled Butler throughout the contest. UCONN had their
way on offense.
Maybe next year’s Final Four, already full
of promise, won’t repeat as such a bummer.
-Ryan Franklin, Sports Reporter

There would be no magic and no redemption for Butler following last year’s
one-shot championship loss to Duke.
Butler again found themselves in the
National Championship but were unable to upstage Connecticut, getting outscored 34-19 in the second half of Monday’s championship finals.
Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun
fought his team back from an early deficit, moving Kemba Walker and his Huskies in the second half as if they were
chess pieces.
While I predicted a UCONN victory, I
expected Butler to pose a greater threat.
The game was a complete disappointment from both competition and entertainment perspectives.
-Jake Wasdin, Sports Reporter

Florida Atlantic used a six-run second
inning and added multiple runs in the
fourth, seventh and eighth innings to defeat
University of South Alabama baseball 1210 Sunday afternoon at Stanky Field.
FAU (19-13, 7-5 SBC) took a 6-0 lead in
the top of the second inning with the big
blast coming in the form of a three-run
homer off the bat of Colby Gratton.
The Owls added three runs earlier in the
inning on a sacrifice fly by Sean Bukovich
and RBI singles by Mike Albaladejo and
Andy Mee.
Florida Atlantic added two runs in the
top of the fourth inning on an RBI single
by Mee and sacrifice fly off the bat of
Gratton to extend its lead to 8-0.
Alvarez (4-2) earned the win in five
innings pitched for the Owls, allowing six
runs on seven hits while striking out three
and issuing one walk. Hugh Adams pitched
two innings and allowed one run on three
hits with a strikeout and a walk to earn his
third save of the season.
Hook (1-3) suffered the loss in 1 2/3
innings, and allowed six runs on five hits
while issuing one base on balls.
Power Wins IndyCar Series Honda
Grand Prix of Alabama
Will Power extended his lead in the final laps and finished 3.38 seconds ahead
of Scott Dixon on Sunday to win the Indy
Grand Prix of Alabama in Birmingham.
Dario Franchitti was third on the 2.38mile road course at Barber Motorsports
Park.
The Australian Power became the first
IndyCar driver to lead wire to wire since
Franchitti did it at Sonoma’s in 2009.
Power dominated in practice and qualifying rounds the past two years at Barber, and
stressed how badly he wanted to win after a
pit strategy backfired and cost him the lead
in 2010 — and perhaps the IndyCar points
championship.
-Wire Reports

16 April 11, 2011

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April 11, 2011

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18

April 11, 2011

Distractions

The

Vanguard
Vanguard Staff
editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com

www.usavanguard.com/distractions

Caption Contest

Do hilarious things come to mind when you see this photo? E-mail your
funniest caption to editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com. The winner will be
published in the next edition!

Caption Contest Results

Winner: “Wilsoooooon!”
-Marie Claire

Sudoku
Sudoku puzzles brought to you by USA’s Student Health Center.
To make an appointment, call 251-460-7151.
Rules: Fill each row, column, and square of nine boxes with the numbers one through
nine without repeating any. Answer keys provided at www.usavanguard.com/distractions.